Aeronautic landing device



' F. M. McDONALD.

AEBONAUTIC LANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-10, I918.

Patented June 1, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR Hunk M M D unuld (\BY A WWM ATTORNEY F. M. MCDONALD.

AERONAUTIC LANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-10, 1918.

Patented June 1, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VENTOR ATTORNEY F. McDONALD. AEBONAUTIC LANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I0 I9I8.

Patented June 1', 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- NIIIIIIII INVENTOR l-Tznk M M D an 111:1

" BY WW5 J /LM ATTORNEY F. M. MCDONALD.

AERONAUTIC LANDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, l9l8.

1,342,221 Patented June 1, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

4 INVEN'II'OR Hank M MED Em clld ATTORNEY M it n "r orrics.

AERONAUTIC LANDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 10, 1918. Serial No. 266,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. MCDONALD,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of VVashin on, have invented certaln new and useful mprovements in Aeronaut c Landing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for alighting from aeroplanes, seaplanes and the like when the latter are in the air, and the object is to provide a structure, the speed of the descent of which can be var ed and will strike the gound without in uring its occupants or the apparatus. Another object is to provide mechanism of this character that will float, should it land on a river or other body of water, and is .provided with signaling means.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus in its distended condition, e

Fig. 2 is a detail or sectional view of the upper end of the same,

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the means for controlling the extension of the parachute member,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating in plan the hand wheel'for contracting the parachute member,

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the car,

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on an enlarged scale of one of the feet for the car,

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view illustrating the means for holding the parachute member in contracted condition,

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional View through Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the apparatus with the parachute member contracted,

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of theapparatus with the parachute member distended, and showing the apparatus when resting on the ground,

Fig. 11 is a detail plan view of the parachute outlet controlling valvesj Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment disclosed, a car 23 carries a central hollow standard 2, on the upper end of which is fixed a sleeve 7 An elongated sleeve 1 'is slidably and rotatably mounted on the standard 2, below the sleeve 7. A framework, comprising elastic ribs 12 have their upper ends pivoted to a collar journaled on the sleeve 7, as illustrated in Fig. 2. This expansible and contractile frame is covered with a casing 11 of canvas or other suitable material.

The covering or casing 11 is provided with an annular series of inlet ports 13 in its lower portion and with a deflector flap 14 secured above the same to the casing 11 and flared downwardly and outwardly. The

upper portion of the casing 11 is provided with a series of outlet ports 27 and coacting therewith are flap valves 28. These Valves 28 are in the form of disks carried by a spider, comprising an annular ring 29 and radial arms 31, the latter being fixed to the sleeve 7 j The parachute member, as above described, is adapted to be moved to its expanded condition by means of a coiled spring 29 located in the lower portion of Patented June 1, 1920.

the standard 2, and bearing against a head 28 that is engaged with the sleeve 1. The head 28 is provided with a depending knob 27 located within the standard 2 and adapted to be engaged by a pair of holding jaws 6 that embrace the same when the head is a reciprocatory wedge 4 having an ex osed handle knob 4 at one end and a stop ange I 4 at its other end. The spreader is normally held in an inactive position by means of a coiled spring +L housed in a socket 1 in the inner end of the spreader. One end of the spring 4 is connected to the wedge or spreader by a pin wt. while its other end is connected to the standard 2 by a terminal nut or other fastener t.

The operation of the apparatus as thus far described may be outlined as follows.

WVhen not in use the sleeve 1 is drawn downwardly by means of a hand wheel 3 until 1 the head 27 is embraced and secured by the jaws 6. The parts are then in the condition shown in Fig. ,9. When the device is launched, the operator has only to draw outwardly upon the handle 4, thus causingthe wedge to spread the jaws 6 apart, releasing the head 27, the head and consequently the v that the flap 14 will deflect the air into the buffer blocks 20 on their lower ends.

casing 11 and the discharge of said air is allowed to take place through the ports 27*.

-These ports may be more or less closed by turning the sleeve 1, thus moving the ports 27 to more or less exposed positions.

The car 23 includes an annular retaining wall 24 which is preferably surmounted by an annular air chamber 15. This airchamber is in the form of a rubber tube and provides a buoyant body that will support the apparatus should it alight on water. The interior of the car is provided with an annular seat 16 beneath which are located cabinets for food, water and the like. Access to these cabinets can be gained through suitable doors 18. The car is furthermore provided with landing feet 19 having yielding These feet are provided with stems 21 that enter sockets in the base of the car, and are retained therein by plates 25 secured to the base by screws 26. Coiled springs 22 within the sockets, serve to yieldingly hold the feet in projected relation. It will be obvious that this arrangement of feet will absorb the shock in alighting.

The standard 2 carries at its upper end a signal in the form of an electric lamp 8 and inclosed by a cage 9. This lamp may be supplied with current by batteries indicated at 18, said batteries being located in the car at the base of the standard 2. A suitable switch 5 on the .standard and in convenient.

relation to the occupants of the car controls the supply of current from the batteries to the lamp, as will be readily understood. The cage 9 may furthermore be surmounted by a suitable signal flag 10.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein. described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size,

shape, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. w

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus of the character described, a car, a standard extending thereabove, an expansible. frame mounted on the standard, a casing covering the frame andexpanded to substantially globular form when the frameis expanded, means for controlling the expansion of the frame, said casing having lower inlet and upper outlet ports,

' portion of the standard, a sleeve slidable on the standard and having connections with the lower portion of the frame, and a casing mounted on the frame and expanded to substantially globular form thereby when the sleeve is moved upwardly. 3. In apparatus of the character described, a car, a standard connected thereto, a sleeve slidable on the standard, a plurality of elastic ribs connected at their upper ends to the upper end of the standard and connected at their lower ends to the sleeve, a casing inclosing the ribs and having inlet openings in its lower portion, means on the standard and sleeve for'holding said sleeve with the casing and ribs .in contracted condition, and means for sliding the sleeve upwardly to bow the ribs and cause the casing to assume a substantially globular form. I

4. In apparatus of the character described, a car, a hollow standard extendin thereabove, a sleeve slidable on the stan ard, an expansible frame connected at its upper end to the upper portion of the standard and at its lower end to the sleeve and surrounding the same, a casing carried by the frame, a spring within the standard and operating against the sleeve to move the same upwardly and expand the frame and casingto substantially globular form, and means within the standard for holding the sleeve against movement by the spring.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a car, a hollow standard extending thereabove, a sleeve slidable on the standard, an expansible frame connected to the upper portion of the standard and to the sleeve and surrounding the same, a casing carried by the frame, a spring within the standard and operating against the sleeve to move the same upwa'rdly'and expand the frame, jaws within the standard, a head carried by the sleeve and adapted to be engaged by the jaws, and means for operating the jaws to release the head and permit the operation of the sleeve by the spring.

6. In apparatus ofethe character described,

a car, a parachute member for supporting the same having an outlet port, a valvefor controlling the port, and means for moving ,a .car, a standard extending thereabove, a

parachute member rotatably mounted on the standard and having an outlet port, means for rotating the parachute member, and a valve on the standard adapted to cover and rality of outlet ports, valves fixe uncover the port on the rotation of the parachute member.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a car, a standard projecting thereabove, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the standard, an elastic frame connected to the sleeve, a casing on the elastic frame havin a pluto the standard and adapted to cover the ports, and means for turning the sleeve and casing to cover and uncover the ports.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a car, a standard projecting thereabove, a sleeve slidably and rotatably mounted on the standard,an expansible frame surrounding the standard and sleeve and connected to said sleeve, a casing covering the frame and having a plurality of outlet ports in its upper portion, a spider mounted on the upper portion of the standard and having a plurality of valve members that rest upon the casing and are adapted to cover the ports when the sleeve is rotated, means for automatically moving the sleeve longitudinally of the standard in one direction, and means for locking said sleeve against said movement.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a car, yielding feet for the car, a standard rising from the central portion of the car, a sleeve slidable and rotatable upon the standard, a plurality of elastic ribs around the standard and sleeve, said ribs being connected at their upper ends to the standard and at their lower ends to the sleeve,-a casinginclosing the ribs and having lower intake ports, upper outlet ports, a deflector surrounding the intake ports, a spider carried by the upper end of the standard and having valves adapted to cover the outlet ports, means for holdin the sleeve in its lowermost position, means or automatically elevating the sleeve on the standard when released from the holding means to expand the ribs and casing, means for turning the sleeve to cause the outlet ports to be uncovered and covered by the valves, and signaling means on the upper end of the stan ard. FRANK M. MoDONALD. 

